Welcome to the Official Website of the...
Illinois Live Steamers!
40 Years of Friends and
Family
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Illinois Live Steamers!
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About Our Club The ILS club grounds are located approximately 30 miles Southwest of Chicago. The club has tracks in three (3) gauges including: 6000+ feet of 7.5” gauge track, 5000+ feet of 4.75” track and approximately 1300 feet of elevated 3.5” gauge track. Various scale structures have been built by members and placed along the track right-of-way to enhance the appearance of the railroad. Other track facilities include a turntable, steaming/engine repair bays and a hydraulic loading/un-loading hoist (also used as turntable). Club members operate a wide variety of equipment including live steam, electric, gas, gas-electric and gas-hydraulic/hydrostatic powered locomotives. Steam locomotives are fueled with either: coal, propane or oil. Various types of rolling stock can be seen behind locomotives during train operations. Rolling stock was either purchased or built by the members themselves. Over the past several years, all the tracks at the ILS have been undergoing some degree of replacement or upgrading. The 7.5” track has been improved by adding passing sidings to permit realistic bi-directional operations. Using two-way radios, a dispatcher controls all train movements across the railroad. The 4.75” track has added a “Wye” and additional passing sidings too. The entire 3.5” track was recently overhauled and is in fine working condition again. Although the various sized tracks get the most attention, the ILS continues to improve the overall appearance of the club. Members’ spouses continue to plant and maintain various gardens and decorations around the club property. The ILS is still growing and improving. The future of the ILS (as in the past) will be determined by the membership in terms of “what’s next” or “where do we go from here?” The club has come a long way in 40 years, but still looks to the future to make a good thing even better. The Illinois Live Steamers would like to take this opportunity to thank you for visiting our website. Please visit the various sections of the website to learn more about the ILS and contact us if you have any questions or comments. Remember, safety first and always! |
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